So, it seemed like a decent time to talk about one of the more murky parts of freelancing: Negotiating rates and contracts. It's understandably hard to talk about, because every interaction and every client is different, and "your mileage may vary," while frustrating advice to receive as a new freelancer, is just the reality of how it's going to go.
In an industry where most communication happens online, there's the additional challenge of negotiating via email, instead of face-to-face. With clients all over the country, it's practically guaranteed that I won't meet most people I work with in person. People are harder to read at a distance, and having terms set down in black-and-white writing from the outset can make things more formal than they otherwise might be.
But, at least it takes away the possibility of annoying power plays like being seated in a chair that's lower than the other person, or that classic move of sitting in silence for just a little longer than the other person finds comfortable. (Actually, that one works great, and I used to use it often as a reporter to prompt off-the-cuff remarks. Still doesn't make it any less annoying when someone else does it!)
In short -- negotiating with clients over email can be very efficient, though it's not at all like having a more traditional, conversational negotiation. That's not to say that you can't use traditional negotiating tactics online; things like making the first offer, being careful with your language, and presenting a friendly, positive outlook on the negotiation are all still good ideas.
Here are a few more things I've learned over the past decade as a freelancer:
1. Get very clear on WHAT you're negotiating for. What precise amount of work is to be done? What is the exact timeline the client needs it done within? Don't throw out a standard rate, only to discover it's a decidedly unstandard project.
If the client can't answer these questions, encourage them to think more about them, or to negotiate a more limited project or contract. If they don't know how many pages a four-issue arc of their comic book is going to be, for instance, you'll be better off negotiating a per-issue rate rather than per-page. (I am, of course, speaking as a writer; artists will probably find they need to have that exact number to accept a contract and really have a good idea of the work they'll be doing.)
2. Don't be afraid to charge what you're worth. Every. Single. Time. ( I mean, OK, we all know there are "friends & family discounts," but you're probably not going to be doing hard negotiating in those cases.) A way-too-common complaint I see among fellow writers is not getting paid adequately. While you may want to offer a lower rate if you're new to writing or freelancing, make sure that rate goes UP over time, as you acquire more clients and gain experience and confidence.
My best advice is to come into each negotiation with a set of three numbers; one that you'll be happy with, one that you'd be downright excited about, and one that you won't accept. I always start with the highest number as my first offer -- and you might be surprised how often it gets accepted first time out. But if it's not, you have room to work your way down to that number you'll still be happy with. And if the client's idea of a fair price is closer to the one you won't accept, you know this may not be someone you want to work with.
3. Pay attention to the other terms in the contract besides pay rates. As a creative freelancer, you need to be aware what rights you're giving the client over work you produce for them, among other expectations.
Most of the time, work-for-hire creatives know and expect that the client will own the rights to what they create. Where it gets tricky is if you're in a co-creative situation, if you're working with an agent, or if you expect the work to have a future in the media or entertainment realms. Read the whole contract, so you know if you have movie rights, future royalties, credit by name, etc. Some clients also will require a non-disclosure agreement for any proprietary information or creative material you work on. (That's more or less a standard in the comics industry, for one, where secrecy about future plot lines and characters is highly prized.)
On a more practical level, contracts can also include stipulations about where, when and how the work is performed that may or may not suit you. I recently made sure a client included in our contract that I could work remotely and was not required to make appearances at their office unless I chose to. Something like that can make a big difference in how worthwhile a specific business arrangement is for you as a freelancer.
To sum up -- be calm, collected, courteous and friendly in negotiations, but present your offer from a position of strength. The client wants your skills, or they wouldn't have gotten this far. You're the one in charge of the negotiations, because you're the one in charge of your own time. And don't accept contracts or rates you're unhappy with, because that's a great way to make your freelance career untenable and miserable. Your time will be better spent finding new clients willing to meet your terms than it would be slogging through a bunch of underpaid work while barely scraping by.
Hope what I've learned can be helpful to you -- and happy negotiating!
